A Legacy of Excellence
hall of fame
Our next Hall of Fame is coming Spring 2024!
Deadline for Nominations
Sunday September 10, 2023
Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce that our 7th Hall of Fame ceremony will happen in April 2024. To prepare we need your help to find outstanding Faculty and Alumni so we can honor the best of the Sailor spirit. We’re accepting Nominations from the community until Sunday September 10th, so share your thoughts with us before the deadline.
How-to Nominate:
1) Explore those who have already been honored HERE
2) Read the nomination form and gather ALL the information needed
3) Fill in the form and submit (self-nominations are not accepted)
If you’ve nominated someone in the past, they are still on our list and continue to be under consideration. Any suggestions made after the deadline will be held for the next round. So get your Nominations in by Sunday September 10th to help this cherished traditions continue to thrive.
History of the Hall of Fame
Our Hall of Fame tradition began in June 2014, when the Newport Harbor High School Alumni Association inducted our first Class of Alumni and Faculty. We have recognized award-winning athletes, brave military personnel, ground-breaking scientists, public servants, artists, writers and actors, as well as beloved teachers, coaches, and administrators—all individuals who reflect our alma mater’s most cherished values of good citizenship and service to others.
We celebrated our 6th Hall of Fame class on the evening of Thursday October 13, 2022 with our Sailor family. Our honorees gathered in front of the Robert B. Wentz Theater at 6:30pm to kick off a meet-and-greet hour with family and friends.
The ceremony commenced at 7:30pm with NHHS principal Dr. Sean Boulton, and Laura DeSoto (Class of 1976 and Alumni co-President) served as MC. Three past honorees Dr. Joe Corbo, Mary Lyons, and James “Walkie” Ray introduced our new Hall of Fame class. Each of our “great eight” who spoke offered inspiration about how to create a life of meaning through service to others.
The Alumni inductees include:
John Altobelli Class of 1981, outstanding baseball coach
Paul Le Mat Class of 1963, Golden Globe winning actor
Debbe Pyle Magnusen Class of 1974, advocate for children
Raun Thorp Class of 1977, creative architect
David Ullman Class of 1964, champion sailor
Dr. John Vierling Class of 1963, groundbreaking liver doctor
The honored Faculty are:
Bill Burge, Biology & Marine Science teacher
Joe Robinson, Humanities teacher in 7 decades
It was a wonderful evening, and if you missed it, you can WATCH the event or see PHOTOS here:
Each Hall of Fame ceremony has been unique, including a special moment our first year when Dr. Don Miyada, Class of 1942, returned to finally walk at graduation 72 years late. You won’t want to miss out, so make sure to sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear about our next event!
FEATURED Hall of Fame Moment
Dr. Don Miyada (Class of 1942) began at Newport Harbor High School in 1938, unaware that in the next few years, world events would keep him from his graduation day. In the spring of 1942, Don Miyada and his family were sent to the Poston War Relocation Center, a Japanese Internment camp in Arizona. He treasured the NHHS diploma he received at Poston by mail, because many of his peers from other schools were not given their diplomas; however, he missed the opportunity to celebrate this accomplishment. When the Seniors of the Class of 2014 learned of Dr. Miyada’s story, they were so moved they decided to invite him to be a part of their own ceremony, and so right a decades-old wrong.
1st Class Inductees
